moment

moment
moment (n.) mid-14c., "very brief portion of time, instant," in moment of time, from O.Fr. moment (12c.) "moment, minute; importance, weight, value" or directly from L. momentum "movement, motion; moving power; alteration, change;" also "short time, instant" (also source of Sp., It. momento), contraction of *movimentum, from movere "to move" (see MOVE (Cf. move) (v.)). Some (but not OED) explain the sense evolution of the Latin word by notion of a particle so small it would just "move" the pointer of a scale, which led to the transferred sense of "minute time division." Sense of "importance, 'weight' " is attested in English from 1520s.
Phrase never a dull moment first recorded 1889 in Jerome K. Jerome's "Three Men in a Boat." Phrase moment of truth first recorded 1932 in Hemingway's "Death in the Afternoon," from Sp. el momento de la verdad, the final sword-thrust in a bull-fight.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • moment — [ mɔmɑ̃ ] n. m. • 1119; lat. momentum, contract. de movimentum « mouvement » I ♦ 1 ♦ Espace de temps limité (relativement à une durée totale) considéré le plus souvent par rapport aux faits qui le caractérisent. ⇒ 2. instant, intervalle; heure,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • moment — 1. (mo man) s. m. 1°   Partie petite, mais indéterminée, du temps. •   Un moment donne au sort des visages divers, CORN. Cid, I, 1. •   Un moment l a fait naître, un moment va l éteindre, CORN. ib. II, 3. •   Un moment est bien long à qui ne sait …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • moment — MOMÉNT, momente, s.n. 1. Interval scurt de timp; clipă, secundă. ♢ loc. adj. De moment = de scurtă durată; efemer; vremelnic. ♢ loc. adv. Pentru moment = provizoriu, deocamdată, pentru scurt timp. Pe moment = în prima clipă, în acea clipă. În tot …   Dicționar Român

  • Moment — Moment(s) may refer to: Moment (time) Contents 1 Science, engineering, and mathematics 2 Art and entertainment …   Wikipedia

  • moment — MOMENT. s. m. Instant, la plus petite partie du temps qu on puisse s imaginer. Il n y a aucun moment dans la vie où nous n ayons besoin de la toute puissance de Dieu pour nous conserver. le moment de la conception. le moment de la mort. l… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Moment — Mo ment, n. [F. moment, L. momentum, for movimentum movement, motion, moment, fr. movere to move. See {Move}, and cf. {Momentum}, {Movement}.] 1. A minute portion of time; a point of time; an instant; as, at that very moment. [1913 Webster] In a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • moment — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mnż I, D. u, Mc. momentncie {{/stl 8}}{{stl 20}} {{/stl 20}}{{stl 12}}1. {{/stl 12}}{{stl 7}} relatywnie mały odcinek czasu; chwila, chwilka : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Zrobić coś, przyjść, wyjść za moment. To zajmie tylko… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • moment — mòment (mòmenat, momȅnt) m <G mn nātā> DEFINICIJA 1. a. kratak interval; čas, tren, trenutak b. poseban trenutak u vremenu, naročito u sadašnjosti [u ovom momentu važno je biti priseban] 2. a. izdvojeni dio čega što se zbiva, događaja ili… …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Moment — Sm std. (13. Jh.), mhd. mōmente f Entlehnung. Ist entlehnt aus l. mōmentum n., eigentlich Bewegung, Dauer einer Bewegung , zu l. movēre bewegen . Im Sinne von Bewegkraft, ausschlaggebende Kraft daneben Moment n. Das maskuline Genus nach frz.… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Moment — ¹Moment Atemzug, Augenblick, Minute, Nu, Sekunde. ²Moment Element, Faktor, Gesichtspunkt, Hinsicht, Umstand; (bildungsspr.): Aspekt. * * * Moment: I.Moment,der:1.⇨Augenblick(1)–2.imM.:⇨jetzt(1);imletztenM.:⇨Augenblick(2);voreinemM.:⇨eben(2) …   Das Wörterbuch der Synonyme

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